Folding or jointing aeroplane-wing for transportation or storage



A. H. G. FOKKER.

FOLDINGWR )OINTING AEROPLANE WING FOR TRANSPURTATIUN 0R STORAGE.

l APPLICATION FILED mnu. 1921.

1,388,457. Patente Aug. 23, 1921.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ANTHONY HERMAN GERARD FOKKER, F AMSTERDAM., NETHERLANDg FOLDING 0R JOINTING AEROPLANE-WING FOB TRANSPORTATION 0R STORAGE inseam.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 23,1921.

l,Application led February 17, 1921. 'Serial No. 445,735.

llollowing is a specification.

fl ll lli lllli wing in extended position in full lines, andl tl tl lil This invention relates to improvements in aeroplane wings, the object of the invention being to provide an improved aeroplane wing which is divided or jointed along a line running in the direction ol the major dimension or the wing, thus allowing part oit the wing to be detached or folded, for the purpose of reducing the size of the wing lor transportation or storage.

llith the above and other objects in view, the invention consists in the construction, combination and arrangement of devices hereinafter described and claimed.

lln the accompanying drawings Y llfigure l is'a plan View of a oldable or jointed aeroplane wing constructed and ai ranged in accordance with my invention.

lllig. 2 is a transverse sectional view of the same taken on the plane indicated by the line 2--2 ol Fig. 1, and showing the :in lolded position in dotted lines.

llig.. 3 is a detail sectional view of the joint, on a larger scale.

lig. l is asimilar view of the same, showine,n a modilication.

The wing or plane 1 may be of any suitable construction and may be made of any suitable material and in accordance with my invention comprises two or more longitudinal sections 3, Il, which are divided along a line running in the direction of the major dimension or the wing, thus allowing the section 1l to be detached from or 'folded against the section 3.. The beams 5, 6, which entend along themeeting edges ol said wing sections are secured together on one side by means of' hinges 7, the plates 8, 9 of which,

with their overlapping tubular portions 10, are detachably secured together by a rellnovable pintle 11 which may be readily withdrawn therefrom orarranged in place as may he required. The hinge plates are here shown as secured to the beams 5, (i by screws 12 which also pass through the cover ing 13 oi' the wing sections.

0n the side oli' the beams 5, 6, opposite the hinges 7, is a flexible coupling member 14 which passes under the joint between the beams and wing sections, and may be made of any suitable flexible material, such as leather or the like. Said coupling member may be secured in place by any suitable means, screws 15 being here shown for this purpose.

It will be readily understood thatV when the pintle 11 of' the hinges 7 has been removed, the section l may be folded under` or against the section 3 ofthe wing as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 2, the flexible coupling member la being readily bendable for the purpose.

In Fig. 4 I show a modified construction of my invention in which the flexible coupling member 14 is dispensed Iwith and hinges 7a, 8n are employed on opposite sides voi' the wing sections, at the joint, and are respectively provided with removable pintles 7b, 8l. When one of these pintles has been 'removed from one of the hinges the wing members may be readily folded on the other hinge, as will be understood, and when the pintles of' both the hinges have been removed the wing sections may be entirely separated lfrom each other.

While I have herein shown and described two embodiments of my invention, I would have it understood that other changes may be made without departing-from the spirit of my invention and within the scope of the appended claims.

Vlhat I claim is 1. An aeroplane wing comprising mem bers hingedly connected together along a line running in the direction of the major dimension of the wing to enable said wing to be folded.

2. An aeroplane wing comprising mem bers hingedly connected together along a line running in the direction of the major dimension of the wing to enable said wing to be folded, and embodying detachable hinge members.

3. An aeroplane wing comprising a pair of members, arranged to form a joint be tween their meeting edges along a line run ning in the direction of the majordimension to pivotally connect said hinge members of the wing, a iexible coupling member exto ether. 10 tending across said jointon oneside of said n testimon whereof I afiix my signature members and secured vto said members, and in presence o two witnesses.

a hinge on the opposite side of s'aid miem ANTHONY HERMAN GERARD Polmbers, also extendlng across the joint and Witnesses:

comprising members respectively secured to Ro. M. MOONDAG saidwingrmembers and a removable pintle F. Amrum- 

